Knitting Inspiration: Magical Mermaid Socks!

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I saw this gorgeous sparkly teal yarn from FiveBoroughYarns on Etsy and I was like, “OMG! That reminds me of a mermaid tail!’ And then, it turns out that the color was called Mermaid Lagoon! It’s great when the dyer and the knitter are totally on the same page, right?  Then when I saw this pattern on Ravelry I was like, “OMG! That reminds me of a mermaid tail!” But, this time the designer and I were not on the same page because the pattern is called Smaug, which is like that super evil dragon from the Hobbit and he’s the total opposite of a beautiful mermaid…. but I’m still digging it.

The stitch work in this pattern is super elaborate and it has really interesting construction, so kudos to designer Claire Ellen for keeping this project interesting.  That said, it’s probably easier than it looks: I’d say it’s an intermediate-level project. If you know how to read a chart, you can probably manage it!

yarn details

Five Borough Yarns Sparkle Sock in Mermaid Lagoon
fingering weight
superwash wool
machine wash gentle and lay flat to dry
$27 per 100 g/400 yd skein
Purchased in June 2020

project details

pattern: “Smaug Socks” by Claire Ellen (available to download on Ravelry for $6)
size knit: Small (64 stitch)
needles: US size 1.5 (2.5 mm) dpns (I used my Karbonz needles – they have a great pointy tip!)
gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows over 2” in stockinette (unblocked)
yarn used: 288 yards (72 grams)
finished size: heel to toe: 9”; bottom of heel flap to top of cuff: 7.5”
duration: June 19 – August 23, 2021

p.s. The negative space in my photo above is delightfully artsy, right? But here is a zoomed-in view so you can see the stitches a little better!!